Rival Report: Hawks.com’s Micah Hart
By: Hornets.com
November 3, 2008
Throughout the 2008-09 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at the New Orleans Arena.
With the Hornets hosting Atlanta at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Hawks.com writer Micah Hart fielded several Hawks-related questions. For more from Hart, visit Atlanta’s official website and his Hawks BasketBlog.
Hornets.com: Micah, the Hornets and Hawks may have made the biggest strides among all NBA teams last season in terms of giving their fans reasons to be excited about the future. New Orleans won its division for the first time ever, while Atlanta reached the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and shocked nearly everyone by taking Boston to seven games in the first round. What impact has last season’s run made on the enthusiasm in Atlanta?
Hart: I think everyone is coming into this season with a great deal more enthusiasm than in years past. The playoff series against the Celtics was the most excitement the fans have seen in a long time, and I think now that everyone has had a taste they are hungry for more. Losing Josh Childress this summer put a small damper on the enthusiasm, but if the team starts winning out of the gate I think that whole situation will simply fade away.
Hornets.com: In another similarity between these two teams, many analysts list Atlanta’s biggest strength as its starting five, but are concerned about depth. Which Hawks reserves will be most critical to giving Mike Woodson a deeper and more reliable rotation?
Hart: Losing Childress hurt no doubt, but newcomers Flip Murray and Maurice Evans have each shown in preseason that they are capable of making a difference. Evans has become a reliable three-point shooter, and Murray provides the bench scorer the team has so desperately missed the last few years. As far as returnees, the Hawks will need Zaza Pachulia to return to the form he showed his first two seasons in Atlanta, and will need Acie Law to continue his maturation into a legitimate NBA point guard.
Hornets.com: One more connection between the clubs is point guard Speedy Claxton. Claxton played a prominent role during the Hornets’ surprising 2005-06 season, then signed with the Hawks as a free agent in ’06. However, he has since had very poor luck with injuries, including missing the entire 2007-08 season. How is he progressing in his attempt to return to the court?
Hart: You know, it’s very hard to say. Speedy was back in action during summer league and the beginning of training camp, but he just seems snakebit. Right as camp was heating up he suffered a groin injury that has cost him most of the preseason. We are very hopeful he’ll be able to contribute this season in some capacity, but at this point it’s hard to know how much.
Hornets.com: The Hawks had a unique season in 2007-08, qualifying for the playoffs despite winning 37 games. Given the improvement of the Eastern Conference this summer, it will likely require more wins to reach the 2009 playoffs. What do the players and coaches think is realistic in terms of how much they can improve in the win column?
Hart: The players and coaches are very optimistic about their chances; it’s a young, athletic group with a core that has played together for a long time now. I’d say anything less than .500 will be a disappointment to the guys, and I think they believe they are capable of that and much more. But you are right, the East will be tougher, and I sincerely doubt 37 wins will do the trick this time around.
Hornets.com: Atlanta is still one of the youngest teams in the NBA, with several recent first-round picks on the roster. Would you update us on the development and areas of improvement sought by some of the Hawks’ key core players?
Hart: Marvin Williams spent the summer working on extending his shooting range to beyond the three-point line, and the early results are positive. Al Horford continues to work to improve his offensive arsenal around the basket, while Josh Smith is continuing to work to add an effective jumper to complement his ability to score around the rim. I think Acie Law’s biggest area of improvement will simply be his confidence in himself and his ability to run the team, and I think getting more minutes will go a long way towards helping him get better.
Hornets.com: How much of a difference will it make to have point guard Mike Bibby at the outset of training camp this year, after he had been dealt to Atlanta midway through 2007-08?
Hart: Potentially a huge, huge difference. The Mike Bibby we saw in Atlanta the latter part of last season and the playoffs was a hobbled, broken down version of the player who dazzled in the playoffs all those years against the Lakers. So far this preseason he is looking healthy (he did miss a couple games with an oblique strain, but he most likely would have played if the games counted), and with a contract on the line I think you can expect big things from him this season. If he remains healthy, he will be able to take a lot of offensive pressure off of Joe Johnson and allow the team to be much more varied in their offensive attack.
Hornets.com: What’s one thing we might be surprised to know about the Hawks?
Hart: That Al Horford, despite being only a second-year player, is the emotional center and locker-room leader for this team. While Joakim Noah was always considered the leader on the Florida title teams, it has been Big Al who has stepped up during his time in Atlanta and assumed a very big role in the locker room. Despite his youth, he commands respect from his teammates with both his performance and his attitude. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him take a huge step forward this season, and I foresee an All-Star appearance for him within the very near future.
By: Hornets.com
November 3, 2008
Throughout the 2008-09 regular season, Hornets.com will be chatting with writers from other NBA websites to obtain unique insights on the Hornets’ opposition, prior to home games at the New Orleans Arena.
With the Hornets hosting Atlanta at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Hawks.com writer Micah Hart fielded several Hawks-related questions. For more from Hart, visit Atlanta’s official website and his Hawks BasketBlog.
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Hart: I think everyone is coming into this season with a great deal more enthusiasm than in years past. The playoff series against the Celtics was the most excitement the fans have seen in a long time, and I think now that everyone has had a taste they are hungry for more. Losing Josh Childress this summer put a small damper on the enthusiasm, but if the team starts winning out of the gate I think that whole situation will simply fade away.
Hornets.com: In another similarity between these two teams, many analysts list Atlanta’s biggest strength as its starting five, but are concerned about depth. Which Hawks reserves will be most critical to giving Mike Woodson a deeper and more reliable rotation?
Hart: Losing Childress hurt no doubt, but newcomers Flip Murray and Maurice Evans have each shown in preseason that they are capable of making a difference. Evans has become a reliable three-point shooter, and Murray provides the bench scorer the team has so desperately missed the last few years. As far as returnees, the Hawks will need Zaza Pachulia to return to the form he showed his first two seasons in Atlanta, and will need Acie Law to continue his maturation into a legitimate NBA point guard.
Hornets.com: One more connection between the clubs is point guard Speedy Claxton. Claxton played a prominent role during the Hornets’ surprising 2005-06 season, then signed with the Hawks as a free agent in ’06. However, he has since had very poor luck with injuries, including missing the entire 2007-08 season. How is he progressing in his attempt to return to the court?
Hart: You know, it’s very hard to say. Speedy was back in action during summer league and the beginning of training camp, but he just seems snakebit. Right as camp was heating up he suffered a groin injury that has cost him most of the preseason. We are very hopeful he’ll be able to contribute this season in some capacity, but at this point it’s hard to know how much.
Hornets.com: The Hawks had a unique season in 2007-08, qualifying for the playoffs despite winning 37 games. Given the improvement of the Eastern Conference this summer, it will likely require more wins to reach the 2009 playoffs. What do the players and coaches think is realistic in terms of how much they can improve in the win column?
Hart: The players and coaches are very optimistic about their chances; it’s a young, athletic group with a core that has played together for a long time now. I’d say anything less than .500 will be a disappointment to the guys, and I think they believe they are capable of that and much more. But you are right, the East will be tougher, and I sincerely doubt 37 wins will do the trick this time around.
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Hart: Marvin Williams spent the summer working on extending his shooting range to beyond the three-point line, and the early results are positive. Al Horford continues to work to improve his offensive arsenal around the basket, while Josh Smith is continuing to work to add an effective jumper to complement his ability to score around the rim. I think Acie Law’s biggest area of improvement will simply be his confidence in himself and his ability to run the team, and I think getting more minutes will go a long way towards helping him get better.
Hornets.com: How much of a difference will it make to have point guard Mike Bibby at the outset of training camp this year, after he had been dealt to Atlanta midway through 2007-08?
Hart: Potentially a huge, huge difference. The Mike Bibby we saw in Atlanta the latter part of last season and the playoffs was a hobbled, broken down version of the player who dazzled in the playoffs all those years against the Lakers. So far this preseason he is looking healthy (he did miss a couple games with an oblique strain, but he most likely would have played if the games counted), and with a contract on the line I think you can expect big things from him this season. If he remains healthy, he will be able to take a lot of offensive pressure off of Joe Johnson and allow the team to be much more varied in their offensive attack.
Hornets.com: What’s one thing we might be surprised to know about the Hawks?
Hart: That Al Horford, despite being only a second-year player, is the emotional center and locker-room leader for this team. While Joakim Noah was always considered the leader on the Florida title teams, it has been Big Al who has stepped up during his time in Atlanta and assumed a very big role in the locker room. Despite his youth, he commands respect from his teammates with both his performance and his attitude. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him take a huge step forward this season, and I foresee an All-Star appearance for him within the very near future.
